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#9 – Paper Doll

As promised, here’s a brand spankin’ new track from this week for review. Ok, I admit it is from LAST week, but I felt I had to review this one, as it’s been on my playlists heavily these past two weeks. Also, rumor is that this track is his slam back at Taylor Swift for her track “Dear John,” hence the 22 reference in the song.

John Mayer’s work is rooted in the blues. His earlier albums, especially his debut, Room for Squares, feature catchy guitar oriented blues rock songs perfect for summer days. As his career progressed, Mayer began to change his sound drastically, and not all of it was for the better. Fortunately, Mayer makes a great return to his roots with Paper Doll.

Right from the beginning the mood is set with a smooth, subtle drum beat and bubbly guitar. It’s very jazzy, and very relaxing as well. Mayer’s signature smokey voice complements the music perfectly, and the instrumentation is catchy and calming at the same time. The catchiest piece of the song by far is the chorus. The harmonies Mayer uses work like a charm at hooking you instantly, and the last line “Was it just too far to fall for a little paper doll” is sung impeccably well. The beat itself is relatively static, but that’s perfectly fine because Mayer’s jazzy licks keep things interesting and groovy, too. His guitar skills are very evident on this song, and it feels like he’s playing with notes trying to bust out the perfect lick.

The lyrics are almost quietly sassy. He sings them with such ease you would never know that the song is about comparing an ex-love interest to a paper doll; always unstable and fragile. The song fades out lightly to the end, which is just as it should be. After listening, you’ll want to listen again so you can grab your lounge chair and sunscreen, run down to the beach, throw your headphones on and just soak up the sun whilst sipping your pina colada (assuming you have one with you.) To summarize: it’s catchy, it’s jazzy, it’s EXTREMELY chill. You’ll be getting good vibes all day from this song. Is it about Taylor Swift? Eh, I’ll leave it up to you.

What do you guys think of the track? Let me know in the comments! I’m curious to see if you think it IS about T Swift, or if you liked it or didn’t like it and why.